The packaging, transportation, retail display and storage of fresh vegetables and fruits require special environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, light, etc., for maintaining the freshness of such products in terms of food value and appearance until consumed. Proper packaging of such foods plays an important role in achieving such desirable results.
Many types of packaging are used for such purposes. A common type of package is the corrugated paperboard (fiberboard) container which is readily available at low cost and is light weight and, being biodegradable, is environmentally acceptable for general use. However, although such containers commonly are used for the packaging and distribution of wholesale quantities of fresh produce, they are less often used for the packaging of smaller quantities of many kinds of produce, for example, potatoes, onions, citrus and other fruits, which usually are presented either loose or in paper or plastic net bags for retail consumer purchase and use. In those instances when corrugated cartons are so used, it is common practice to utilize one of the many standardized container forms which are readily available from manufacturers, for example, as shown and described in the Fibre Box Handbook published by the Fibre Box Association and meeting standard shipping specifications such as those of the National Railroad Freight Committee and the American Trucking Association. Such boxes include various container designs adapted for bulk transportation of goods of various types, sizes and weights. Such standard container designs and related paperboard and container specifications are directed primarily to the various parameters defining the container's carrying capacity and strength e.g. in terms of resistance to bursting or crushing under various types of applied forces to which containers are subjected during transportation and storage. Comparatively much less attention has been paid to providing containers adapted to the special environmental requirements of particular types of fresh produce, especially in retail quantities suitable for carry-out by the consumer.
When produce is retailed in loose, bulk form, the consumer has the responsibility and chore of picking through the displayed produce, selecting that of acceptable quality, and bagging the selected produce for purchase. Such handling of easily bruised fruits and vegetables in bulk form also results in considerable loss and quality reduction. When fresh produce is packaged in other forms of containers, such as paper or plastic bags, the quality range, for example, in term of product size, form, appearance, etc. is determined by the packager and may not suit the needs or desires of the purchaser. In either case, the attention and care needed to maintain special quality characteristics often is lacking or minimal. For example, potatoes are subject to greening on excessive exposure to light. Either bulk presentation or packaging in light-admitting containers can result in quality deterioration of such products. During storage, apples and some other fruits give off ethylene gas which must be removed to maintain quality. Humidity control, where required, is difficult or impossible to achieve where produce is handled in bulk quantity lots or in substantially fully open or in fully closed containers. Size and shape of some produce items, such as potatoes, also is of importance, not only for appearance, but for the manner of cooking to be used. For example, in cooking in the microwave oven, cooking time is a function of size of the food item. If such items of greatly different sizes are microwaved, some will be overdone and some underdone.